Canaan man dies in Center Harbor motorcycle crash

By DAN SEUFERTUnion Leader Correspondent

CENTER HARBOR – A 27-year-old Canaan man died in an apparent alcohol-related crash Sunday night after his motorcycle left the road on a notoriously sharp turn on Route 3 near the junction of Waukewan Road.

Police said Robert W. Curtis was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:49 p.m. accident.

Curtis "failed to negotiate the corner" while driving north on a 2006 Harley Davidson," police said.

"Preliminary investigation suggests that speed and alcohol are contributing factors," Police Chief Mark Chase said in a press release.

Fire Chief John Schlemmer said Curtis had been riding with another man on another motorcycle, but that man was not involved in the crash.

Curtis and his bike left the road and went into a mud bog and wooded area.

Schlemmer said the long curve on Route 3 near Waukewan Road has been the scene of many accidents over the years.

"People don't anticipate how bad that curve is," he said. "We've lost quite a few people there over the years."

The police investigation is ongoing, Chase said, and anyone who witnessed the crash is encouraged to contact the Center Harbor Police Department at 253-9756.

Center Harbor police and rescue crews were assisted by the Meredith and state police.